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Tag Archives: cats

yes, we shoot cats too ~ {Ontario pet-exclusive photographer}

17 August 2011 – 8:33 am

alas, the busy season has hit us prematurely and is in full swing, and — as a result — blog entries are difficult to keep up with. if you follow scruffy dog on facebook (and why wouldn’t you?), you’ll catch sneak-peek photos throughout the week, so it’s a great place to be.

in the meantime, i will do my best to keep up with blog posts … but because of the tight schedule, it might mean grouping some of these awesome scruffy dog models together into one entry. and with this entry, i’ll share with you a few of the cats i’ve had the pleasure of meeting with the cameras in the past couple of weeks during short shoots … because yes, we shoot cats too!

first up, handsome Comet …

and contrary to the above shot, Comet was a bit of a ham …

we had the most fun on top of the family’s piano …

… and while i would have liked to have backed up and taken in the entirety of this lovely old piano, Comet needed me to stay close in order for him to be convinced to stay up there.

but can you believe that this household harbors a source of even greater cuteness than sweet Comet here? yup, meet his new baby sister, Lexi!

how darling is this little furball?

d’oh!

these two were fun to work with … very social … and absolute sweethearts. and they are totally loved and adored by their two human children who clearly spend a lot of time playing with their furry charges.

thanks, kids, for sharing your two 4-leggers with me. it’s good to know they’re in such good hands.

next up, painfully shy Layla … but what a dollface.

do you like her pretty fern tail?

this little girl is deeply loved by mom Debbie, who adopted Layla after the loss of her last girl. Layla was in bad shape at the humane society. skinny and refusing eat for anyone, Debbie had gone in to donate some of her last girl’s beds and belongings, believing that she would/could never possibly open her heart to another cat again. … and then she met this lovely girl …

she refused to eat for anyone … except Debbie. and after a couple of visits to the shelter to help Layla eat, well, their relationship was sealed. thanks for introducing me to your wonderful girl, Debbie.

and finally, big boy Static …

he comes by his name, apparently, by having a pretty wild-looking hairdo when he was younger. well, “static” … you can well-imagine.

and Static loves to play …

thanks, Static, and Comet, Lexi and Layla, for your cooperation during your sessions!

By illona | Posted in clients & sneak peeks | Also tagged ontario cat photographer, ontario pet photographer, tabb | Comments (9)

the cat whisperer ~ {Waterloo pet photographer}

3 September 2010 – 7:41 am

it’s always exceedingly encouraging when i can make clients shake their heads in disbelief … when i can prove them wrong or at least make them eat their words as their so-called fearful, shy pets eat treats out of my hands.

meet Mack … and yeah, this is what she looked like when the shoot started. and trust me, we were shocked and amazed she even stayed put on the couch!

Mack doesn’t like people. in fact, i’m told she’s not even overly-affectionate with owners Lisa and Ryan. cats, right? and when family or friends come to visit, apparently the only thing you’ll see of Mack are the hairs she leaves behind as she beats her hasty exit to go into hiding for their entire visit.

now, granted, knowing a pet isn’t overly affectionate, I won’t even try to pet them, although i did get in a few strokes of her lovely creamy coat. i basically let Mack be … but when she eventually gave me those soft cat eyes and held my stare for long silent moments, blinking softly, i gave ‘em right back to her and told her over and over again what an amazing girl she was.

but with every shattering clack of my huge camera’s shutter, Mack flinched backwards. so … out came the toy.

it didn’t take long … some well-placed bobs, good teases … and the trick is to always, always, always leave ‘em wanting more …

clearly i shoot more dogs than cats, and i’ll be the first to say that — as a general rule — dogs are easier. because — as a general rule — dogs are dorks. and you know i say that with utter love for my favorite creature on the planet. they can be so easily manipulated and cajoled, tempted and directed … a squeaky toy or a smokey-scented treat, a squealing Cuz or even my embarrassingly giddy voice or duck call when i have to pull it out as a last resort.

but cats … well … you gotta know what you’re doing with cats. you’ve gotta know how to move around the room when you’re with them, how to approach them, which lens to use in order to buy yourself whatever space you might need to make them comfortable … especially the anti-social ones. i’ve found that sometimes the owners don’t even quite know how to deal with their cats when it comes to a photo shoot, and often it’s best that they just sit back and leave Fluffy to me.

and i should note … you see that vase of flowers on the table behind the couch? normally i would have asked the owner to move those as they are something of a distraction, particularly in the play-shot two up. i wanted to ask, but given the energy i was reading from Mack, i knew that if owner Lisa did anything at that point, even something as simple as cross the room and move these flowers, Mack would exit the photo shoot.

Mack was a super-star. i could sense she was ready to bolt several times, so it was a good 15 minutes or more before i even picked up a camera in spite of this being a short session. after all, i can’t shoot a cat that isn’t there. and in the end, i got more shots of Ms. Mack than her sister Mika …

short, little, round Mika …

… like a little tabby ball on legs … with the cutest little, chirping ‘meow’ you’ve ever heard.

the true challenge, of course, was getting both of these girls in one shot. Lisa and Ryan had absolutely no doubt that it was an utterly, absolutely impossible task, never to be accomplished. no way. no how. did i happen to mention i’m a bit of a cat whisperer? give me those beautiful soft eyes, Mack. thanks, girl.

now your turn, Mika …

thanks, Lisa and Ryan, Mika and most of all shy Mack for a lovely morning … and for reminding me that i’m doing exactly what i should be doing. i hope you all enjoy your client gallery.

By illona | Posted in clients & sneak peeks | Also tagged cat, kitchener-waterloo pet photographer, tabby | Comments (12)

… and cats, when we have to. ~ {Kitchener-Waterloo pet photographer}

26 July 2010 – 6:53 am

it’s almost our motto here at scruffy dog — “… where all we shoot is dogs … and cats when we have to” — accompanied by a roll of the eyes to emphasize the humor. yes, cats can be difficult … not as easily manipulated as dogs, not as quick to gobble down treats or become enchanted with a new squeakie, and no matter how giddy you make your voice their level of disdain will only deepen. so the approach must be different … it must be calm and respectful, geared to the individual cat’s own pace … it must be accommodating of their sense of personal space, and, as with dogs, never forceful.

this month i had several cat clients, so over the course of the next week i thought i’d share a few of them with you to show you the drastic difference that can be found in feline subjects.

first we have Tigger …

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… and yes, this is how i initially met Tigger — crashed out across the back of the sofa … or maybe that’s his sofa? in fact, when mom, Christine, greeted me at the door her voice was hushed as she informed me: “he’s still down for his nap.” at first i thought she was referring to a wee two-legger she must have tucked away inside in one of the upstairs bedrooms and we should proceed quietly. but no, she was referring to none other than Tigger. and down-for-his-nap he was! truth be told, “utterly immovable” might have been a better description.

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in fact, Christine had a couple of small paintings hanging over the couch directly above Tigger which I asked her to move to declutter the images. and in spite of the bustle of the quick redecoration and the clacking of the camera’s shutter, this was about all the reaction we received. only after a few pokes and a stroke on the head was i able to assure myself that there was indeed life.

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once carried to the back yard — because walking would be far too much effort for this groggy boy — Tigger seemed to waken enough for his session. well, sort of. i admit, i felt a kindred spirit in Tigger — needing that extra time to wake up after a good nap.

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and when he did finally wake, it seemed like he realized for the first time that he had company.

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Tigger and his other cat housemates have a fabulous set up … a gorgeous, landscaped back yard with a secure fence, topped with high netting so that the cats are all safely contained.

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here, brother, Sequoia, took a special interest in the camera …

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while Eddy and Sweet Pea really could care less.

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thanks Tigger for being such a great model. and thanks, Christine, for introducing me to your fabulous pride. i hope you enjoy your client gallery.

By illona | Posted in clients & sneak peeks | Also tagged cat, cat photographer, kitchener-waterloo pet photographer | Comments (7)

little old ladies

7 March 2010 – 9:40 am

meet Whiskers …

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… and Layla.

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two sweet senior sisters who are well loved.

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i had a lovely afternoon following these ladies around their house.

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the newly remodeled kitchen offered great light and colours, and fortunately Whiskers and Layla have no boundaries.

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and they were rather patient for their closeups …

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“patient” being a relative term, of course.

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all in all though, these girls were very comfortable with the camera.

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thanks so much, girls, for a fun afternoon. and thanks for introducing me to your lovely ladies, Maureen. looking forward to seeing you again at your studio consult.

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